The papal conclave to elect a new pope began on May 7, 2025, sixteen days after the death of Pope Francis. The process involves about 133 cardinal electors gathering in the Sistine Chapel, where they will cast secret ballots until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority plus one vote

. The voting schedule is as follows:

• On the first day, only one round of voting (two ballots) takes place in the afternoon.
• From the second day onward, there are up to four ballots per day: two in the morning and two in the afternoon.
• If no pope is elected after three days of voting, the cardinals may pause for up to one day for prayer and discussion before resuming voting

Historically, conclaves have varied widely in length-from as short as 10 hours to nearly three years-but recent conclaves have typically lasted two to three days. For example, Pope Francis was elected after two days in 2013, and Pope Benedict XVI after two days in 2005

. Therefore, while there is no fixed time limit, it is expected that the conclave may last anywhere from a couple of days to about a week. The new pope will be publicly announced once elected, signaled by white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney